The Nothing
by xXUsEdXx
Summary: No one really knew who she was, but even he could see the broken shards inside of her that may never heal. -Eventual IchigoxOC- -Rated high for just in case-
1. Her Name Is

_This is going to be the weirdest sounding thing ever but...I actually dreamed up this plot monkey. It took me a while to find a name that matches my OC before I scoured google and looked it up. The theme is dark before it gets happy and also, since I'm rewriting my other Bleach fic duology to make it more Hichi-centric, I figured my favorite strawberry needs him a -centric fic of his own. In case you're wondering about the meanings on my OC's name:_

 _Mutsuko : nothing child_

 _Nanashi: no name_

 _That's the translation I got from the site I was on, so if I'm off somewhere in the name meanings, let me know._

* * *

Cold, like liquid ice.

If that's how he would describe the falling rain from the thunderous grey sky, that'd be it. However, there were other types of cold. One that he experienced as a shot of adrenaline, ice through his blood that should have frozen him in place, but he couldn't just look away. He _couldn't_ just walk away. Not from this.

He didn't even know the girl. She was a stranger, an anonymous blur, but she stood out to him from the sea of people-but not from her appearance.

It was where she was standing that sent him into a panic, mentally screaming at _how is no one seeing her_.

Her hands were gripping the rail stops, curtain of dark hair hiding her face, her body almost angled in a position of defeat. She didn't move, even with the signals blaring that a train was coming, that she needed to get out of the way. Only when her fingers uncurled, ready to release her anchor, did he jump to action. He didn't even care if this girl was a ghost, reliving her last moments over and over; he couldn't stand by and watch.

He ran, ignoring the calls of his friends, to her, that girl who was about to make an irreparable mistake. His heart was pounding so loudly, the noise deafening him, as his focus was to reach her, to stop her from doing this.

When his hand shot out to seize her thin, fragile wrist, his fingers dug into the soft flesh and he was shocked to find a pulse.

She's not a ghost. He yanked her back, over the railing before the train would come and send her body hurtling through the air. His free arm wrapped around her waist, his mind working into overdrive, as he held onto her. But she wasn't fighting him, like he'd have expected. She was as still as death, her clothes soaked through that he was sure she had to have been freezing.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice broke through the humming of blood through his veins and Ichigo's eyes flickered over to the raven-haired Soul Reaper. Orihime, Chad, and Uryu were right behind her, panting heavily from chasing after him. Orihime's grey eyes scanned down to the girl Ichigo currently had in his grip and she clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh!"

"Orihime, what's wrong?" Uryu asked, looking at the orange-haired female with concern etched on his features.

"Mutsuko-chan!" Orihime gasped, trying to catch the girl's eye, only to have her own fill with tears. "Oh, Mutsuko-chan..."

Ichigo looked down at the girl, who slowly raised her head up, the trance she was enraptured in falling away. Soaked, brown hair clung to an extremely pale face, the right cheek devastatingly marred by a large, ugly bruise and eyes as black as death met his. Her lips trembled, as though she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. She snatched her arm from his grip, the sleeve from her hoodie falling only slightly atop of what looked to be another bruise on her arm. She tried to move back, her steps clumsy, before she fell onto her knees.

"Orihime, who's..." Ichigo began, but Orihime shook her head. Her expression was twisted with sorrow as she knelt down before the girl she called Mutsuko, who was trembling with tears streaming down her face. Orihime wrapped her arms around the trembling girl, before she looked up toward Ichigo. "Can we take her to your house since it's closer, Ichigo? Maybe your dad can patch her up?" she murmured.

Ichigo frowned. He just saved this girl, but something weighed heavily in his chest about this situation. "Sure."

Orihime carefully moved to help Mutsuko to her feet and that's when Ichigo noticed.

Mutsuko's leg was trembling, trying to keep her upright, but Ichigo could sense that her leg was injured some way or another. "Let me help, Orihime."

Orihime nodded before speaking to Mutsuko. "Ichigo's just going to help, okay, Mutsuko-chan? You're going to be all right now," she murmured in a voice meant to be reassuring, but no one was sure if Mutsuko even heard Orihime, much less understood, even as Orihime gently pulled the soaked hood atop of her head. Ichigo knelt down and Orihime gently urged Mutsuko to get onto his back. While Ichigo never cared about what others thought of him before, it may follow him down the road about giving a nearly catatonic girl a piggyback ride.

"Orihime, who is that girl?" asked Rukia, frowning softly at her friend.

"How do you know her?" Uryu added, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"W-Well..." Orihime stammered, her eyes bouncing from her friends to the girl Ichigo carried on his back. "The thing is...Mutsuko-chan...she doesn't go to our school. To be honest, I don't know if she ever did, she hardly speaks to anyone. The only thing I ever got out of her was her full name: Nanashi Mutsuko."

"Why is that?" asked Chad.

At this, Orihime lowered her gaze to the rain-slicked pavement and a heavy silence fell over the group. The mere notion of Orihime not explaining her connection to this Mutsuko caused a yawning pit of nervousness to open inside of Ichigo, made larger by the weight of him carrying the lifeless girl. It begged the question now, more than ever. Was she someone's daughter? Are they searching for her? Did they even _care_ she was gone?

 _Did someone even miss her?_


	2. Stop Me Falling

_So I made a playlist thingamajig for this. Me needs to chill._

* * *

"Dad?" Ichigo called out as Chad assisted the strawberry in opening the sliding doors into the clinic. The dead weight of the silent girl on his back had made him wonder if she had fallen unconscious until Uryu had pointed out that she looked ill. Rukia had touched Mutsuko's forehead and announced that she had developed a fever, so they had all ran to the clinic as fast as they could.

Maybe it was because of his nature or maybe because something inside this girl screamed for help without so much as a word said, but Ichigo knew he wasn't going to play fast and loose with her life.

Isshin Kurosaki, hearing his son call out for him, was pulling on his medical coat. "What is it, Ichigo?" he asked, striding over the group.

Ichigo turned his head, carefully hoisting the feverish girl carefully so that his father could see her. Isshin's eyes widened. "Get a move on, boy. Lay her down so I can take a look at her!" he barked and Ichigo was more than happy to oblige, walking to the nearest, available cot. Chad went to Ichigo's aid, gently pulling Mutsuko off of Ichigo's back to lay her down on the cot.

Mutsuko's eyes were shut, her breathing shallow, and her cheeks were red with fever. His dad going into doctor mode, Ichigo backed away, Chad following his lead, as Isshin began to check on the girl. Orihime bit her lower lip, her eyes glistening in concern and Uryu placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be fine, Orihime."

"That's not what I'm worried about," murmured Orihime, looking down at her feet.

Rukia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I-It's...I don't think it's my place to say, especially since she hasn't told me anything, but..." Orihime lifted her eyes to meet Rukia's, and Rukia saw an abundance of pain on behalf of the girl laying on a medical bed. "I think...is it possible that she could just come home with me?"

"Orihime, I can't let her go with you, not unless she said something was happening at home," Isshin said sternly, as he grabbed a pair of scissors and sliced open Mutsuko's hoodie.

"D-Dad, what are you-" Ichigo stammered, used to seeing his dad work hard to help a patient, but had never seen him so worked up as now.

The ruined hoodie falling away, Mutsuko fevered flesh was slick with rain and sweat, her white camisole clinging to her skin almost obscenely. Isshin gingerly pulled the ruined garment off of her, only to unveil the exposed flesh of her arms-covered in bruises and scars. Bile rose in Ichigo's throat as he clenched his jaw and he could hear Orihime whimper as the others sucked in air through their teeth. What had this girl gone through?

"Where did you find her?" asked Isshin, gently prodding at the unconscious Mutsuko for any broken bones. "She's so thin..." he added to himself.

"By the...by the train tracks," Ichigo answered, his tongue feeling dry as a desert. Looking back on her position, he realized it could very well have been a posture of pain as much as resignation. Whatever she endured, she didn't want to return if she thought that throwing herself before tons of metal was the answer...

"I see." Isshin exhaled heavily. "You kids go on and wait in the house. I'll take care of her."

There was no argument, just obedience as Ichigo led his friends to the house, apart from the clinic. The silence was heavy, more so than ever after seeing how far-at least to their knowledge-those bruises went.

"I have to go," Uryu muttered nearly under his breath, heading for the door. "Let me know how she is."

"I have to get home too," said Chad in his low voice as his sturdy form moved to the exit.

"I will," Ichigo replied, crossing his arms with a brisk nod.

When the two left, Ichigo, Rukia, and Orihime sat in the living room. Rukia ventured first, though her voice shook slightly. "Orihime. Your connection to this girl...Nanashi-san?"

Sighing, Orihime's eyes shut briefly. "Mutsuko-chan...she's a friend. This isn't the first time she's...tried."

"She's tried to throw herself in front of a train before?" Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing. The girl he snatched from demise of her own doing had attempted something like this before and Orihime did _nothing_?

"No, just...I've tried to get her to talk to me, but she wouldn't open up except to tell me that she smashed her arms into the mirrors in her house. She promised me she wouldn't try again..." Orihime's eyes opened, glistening with tears. "I've...been trying to get her to stay with me, but I hadn't heard from her in weeks."

"Orihime..." Rukia's eyes were narrowed softly, pain within the blue depths.

"Did you suspect that she was being abused at home?" cut in Ichigo, frowning. Those were his suspicions on seeing the bruise on Mutsuko's cheek alone, but the hammering of his heart begged for Orihime to share his suspicions. If the girl lying unconscious in the clinic was a victim, there was no way in hell Ichigo would let his dad send her back into the jaws of wolves that would tear her apart.

When Orihime nodded slowly, he stood up. "I've got to tell my dad this. There's no way he can send her back."

"Ichigo," Rukia's voice cut into him like a blade, stern and unrelenting. "What your father may end up doing is calling the authorities or whomever handles situations like this. What's more, unless Nanashi-san says so herself, the only thing we have to go on is her bruises."

"Are you even hearing yourself, Rukia? This girl has bruises on her arms, not just her face!" Ichigo couldn't hold back the anger from his voice, feeling his blood burning with rage. "Hell, they could be fucking everywhere on her and we're just supposed to sit here and do nothing for her?"

"I am not saying we shouldn't help her, Ichigo, but if there are complications that prevent us from helping her to the full extent we can, it has to be handled beyond us." Rukia shook her head at the strawberry, understanding his sentiments while trying to remain clearheaded herself.

"Rukia, I think this is the only place where Mutsuko-chan is safe right now. We won't hurt her, obviously," murmured Orihime, twisting her fingers together nervously. "And I can't sit here while she gets hurt again and she tries to do this again. She could stay with me for a while."

At this, Rukia shook her head at the wielder of the shunshunrikka. "That could be dangerous. Whatever she's been through, I'm sure Nanashi-san kept you out of it for a reason."

Ichigo felt his teeth grinding together in frustration. Rukia was right; if Mutsuko, whomever and whatever she was, endured violence of greater magnitude, then there would be no way she'd subject Orihime to it. However, his gut twisted at the very notion that she bore such violence on herself.

"I just want her to be okay. To feel safe, you know?" whispered Orihime, low enough to barely be picked up on the wind, as delicate tears began to stream down her face.

Just then, before another word was uttered, a deathly shriek shattered the air followed by the sounds of things clattering to the floor and Isshin shouting "Wait" before the thin, fragile form of Nanashi Mutsuko fled from the clinic, her black eyes frenzied with fear. She dove for the door with enough speed to rival a frightened animal that it took only a moment of shock before Rukia, Ichigo, and Orihime came to their senses. Ichigo moved, catching the girl by her waist before she could stumble out the door. She struggled, desperate whimpers akin to growls coming from within her throat, as she threw her bruised arms wildly against Ichigo's frame, the orange-haired male barely catching her wrists in his free hand.

"Mutsuko-chan!" Orihime jumped from her place, rushing to the two in an attempt to calm the struggling brunette Ichigo held in a vice grip.

"Orihime, step away before you get hurt!" exclaimed Rukia in warning, hoping to keep her from being collateral damage in the struggle. Orihime shook her head furiously before trying again. "Mutsuko-chan, please calm down. You're safe, I promise!"

"No!" Her voice hoarse, likely from disuse, blasted from Mutsuko's lips as she squirmed and fought, desperately trying to get free. "Let me go! _**LET ME GO**_!"

"Are you crazy?" Ichigo snapped, his temper rising to its fever pitch. "You're hurt, idiot, and we're just trying to help!"

Mutsuko ceased her flailing long enough for her to look up at Ichigo, her eyes narrowed into slits of distrust that stabbed into him. "I don't know who you think you _are_ ," she hissed, the venom in her words so potent she may as well have spat it into his face. "Let me go right now. You can't keep me here."

"Ichigo." His father's voice drew the strawberry's attention from the glaring female as he walked in. "Let her go. I can't force her to stay if she doesn't want to be here."

"Dad..." Ichigo met his father's eyes and could see that he did not want to send this girl back to wherever she came from, even though Mutsuko was refusing medical care of her own volition. Defeated, Ichigo slowly released her, watching as Mutsuko snatched her arms back from his lax grip and she stepped away from him and closer to Orihime.

Orihime reached for her, gingerly resting a hand on Mutsuko's shoulder only for the latter female to flinch away from her touch. Eyes softening, Orihime bit her lip as Mutsuko turned to look at her.

When Mutsuko reached out, tentatively, to grab Orihime's hand, Rukia and Ichigo were both equally shocked by the lack of violence shown compared to before. "I'm sorry, Orihime," she whispered, squeezing the girl's hand gently before she raced out the door and into the street.

Ichigo's eyes had followed her movements and he was struck by how Mutsuko ran out of the clinic.

 _As if her life depended on it..._

Gritting his teeth, he turned to his father. "I know you're thinking the same thing we are, dad. You saw those bruises!"

"Yes, I did. When she regained consciousness, she became hysterical and refused medical treatment. I can't make her stay against her will," murmured Isshin.

"You should have! Wherever she's going, she's just going to get hurt even worse and who knows what could happen next!"

"If she does, hopefully she knows that she can come here and that we mean her no harm."

With a sigh, Orihime gazed out the door and Ichigo was nagged with the urge to ask his friend about Nanashi Mutsuko, on how long the girl had sported bruises on her skin.

"I...I better go," whispered Orihime, her eyes flying to the floor as though she wished for it swallow her whole before she drifted for the door. "I should be home in case Mutsuko-chan calls. She does that sometimes..."

"Need me to walk you home?" Ichigo offered.

Orihime shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulders. "No, I'll be fine."

Ichigo nodded as Orihime left, closing the door behind her.

"Ichigo?" He could barely hear Rukia calling his name as an abundance of thoughts took root within him and the voice demanding how he could let a girl in her condition run off into the rain-slicked streets.


	3. For a Friend

" _I don't know who you think you are…"_

 _The words were ringing like a chant, loud before slowly lowering to a mere whisper. The torrent of rain fell from a forever thundering sky and he could see her again, only over a bridge. Her back to him, those frail hands gripped the edge until her knuckles were white, her hair twisting wildly in the air sent a lurch of pain in his heart and yet, he couldn't understand why._

" _You don't know anything about me," she whispered, swaying over the edge despite her hold on the rail. He couldn't see her face, couldn't see her expression, but could feel it in her next words, screamed instead of whispered. "You don't know anything so_ _ **stop pretending to care**_ _!"_

 _"_ _ **NO**_ _!" He lunged as soon as her fingers uncurled from the railing, her body falling forward in slow motion-_

 _The image shattered into millions of jagged pieces, turning into the woods near the cemetery. A warmth was in his hands and as he lowered his eyes._

 _His skin was drenched in blood, dyed so deep red that it almost looked black. A body lay not far from him before ice drenched his veins. He knew that body, had seen the marks on her skin..._

 _A deathly, chilling wail broke the air, as her voice whispered, "_ _ **Hey, Ichigo...we'll...we'll meet again, right?**_ _"_

Gasping, Ichigo shot upright in his bed, his skin drenched in sweat as his chest heaved from the nightmare. Brown eyes locked onto his shaking palm for a mere heartbeat before he grasped at locks of orange hair.

Not even twenty-four hours after preventing her suicide and her fleeing from treatment, and now he was having nightmares about Nanashi Mutsuko. He couldn't even develop a comprehension of why he would even have the nightmare to begin with. He barely knew the girl and only knew of his nagging suspicions that she was being abused. Bruises of that magnitude couldn't even come from simple falls or walking into doors in his mind and it infuriated him to know that this girl didn't want to breathe a word against who was hurting her.

Whether he was pissed at her or at the situation as a whole, he wasn't sure, but he was pissed off.

With an irritated groan, Ichigo scrubbed a hand over his face. "Damn it…"

The exchanges of words and fists with his dad before Ichigo went to bed centered on how his father could just let the girl go, could just _tell_ him to let her go. Something in him just couldn't accept that he could let her go back into a dangerous situation. He had told himself he wasn't as noble to risk his life for a stranger, yet here he was, willing to hold Mutsuko in his clinic until she was cleared to go home.

 _I don't know who you think you are._ Those were her first, full words to him when he was convincing himself of her being mute. Yet if Ichigo thought back to when she looked at him, a jolt of shock filtered through him at one realization.

There wasn't any emotion in her eyes.

Maybe it was due to hanging around Orihime, Tatsuki, and Rukia that he noticed something so simple, yet so profound. It cemented the notion of Mutsuko's spirit being utterly broken along with her body.

Those eyes, black as death, held no sliver of emotion when she screamed for him to release her; however, there were two emotion that spoke volumes to his own soul when he yanked her from the train tracks.

Pain and fear.

* * *

When Ichigo arrived to school the next day, he noticed something rather out of the ordinary: Orihime wasn't present.

It wasn't completely out of the ordinary when the entire group was out to protect Karakura from the threat of Hollows or any threats to the Soul Society if needed. Other than that, Orihime was in school every day.

Frowning, Ichigo turned to Tatsuki, his childhood friend close to Orihime in a sense to know why the orange-haired girl would be absent today. When Tatsuki had given him the answer of Orihime not telling her why she was missing school today was when Ichigo worried.

"I'm going to her place after school," Tatsuki had said to him, to which Ichigo offered to join her. Orihime had been rather shaken about her silent, suicidal friend when they found her; it could be a reason. Which was why Ichigo found himself with Tatsuki in front of the door to Orihime's apartment.

Tatsuki knocked on the door, her expression drawn into a worried frown, as the two waited for a few heartbeats. The click of the lock resounded minutely as the door opened just a bit, revealing Orihime, who gasped. "Oh! Ichigo, Tatsuki, what are you doing here?"

"You missed school today," replied Ichigo, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"I brought the homework for today, Orihime," Tatsuki added. "Can we come in?"

"Uh…" Orihime's grey eyes flickered quickly between the two before her and within her apartment. "Uh, now's not a good time, actually…"

"Why not?" Tatsuki's frown deepened more in her concern. Orihime had never refused to let her in before.

Ichigo, on the other hand, sensed it. Orihime was stalling and there was a faint spiritual pressure coming from inside of her apartment. "Did something happen, Orihime? You're acting weird."

"Um," Orihime bit her lip hard, debating internally, before she sighed and opened the door wider into her living room. Tatsuki's eyes widened and Ichigo had to bite his tongue to refrain from cursing.

Sitting at Orihime's small table, hoodie on her lap with her battered arms on display, was Nanashi Mutsuko. Her brown hair was disheveled, strands hanging over her eyes as her entire posture was tense, ready to respond with either fight or flight. Though it was hard to tell if she was glaring, Ichigo saw the tick in her jaw, which wasn't the only thing his eyes were drawn to. There was a new, fresh bruise, the discoloration he could see just under her left eye.

"Orihime?" Tatsuki's voice was strained, her unspoken question underlying how she called her friend's name, her eyes narrowed in worry as she took in Mutsuko's appearance. "Who is that? Is she okay?"

"That's why I didn't come to school today. She came late last night and I…" Orihime trailed off, looking at the ground.

"Orihime, can we come in?" Ichigo asked, repeating Tatsuki's earlier question. Knowing that Mutsuko was with his friend, there was no way Orihime them would refuse now. Sure enough, Orihime stepped aside, allowing Tatsuki and Ichigo to walk in and sit opposite Mutsuko. Tatsuki couldn't take her eyes off of the battered girl, her lips pressed in a hard line to refrain from saying anything that would trigger an unsavory reaction. Though for Ichigo, now that he was seeing her as close as possible, her left eye was completely black. _**Someone**_ _gave this girl a beating._

Orihime sat beside Mutsuko, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Mutsuko-chan, it's okay. They won't hurt you," she said softly.

It was slow, gradual, but the tension left Mustuko's frail body. Her coal eyes were fixed on the table's surface, not meeting Tatsuki's or Ichigo's eyes. "Orihime," she murmured hoarsely. "This is playing with fire, you know."

"You can trust them."

"No, I can't."

"Hang on a second," Tatsuki shook her head before leveling her stare on Mutsuko, who flinched instinctively, "Orihime, you need to explain this."

"I'm helping her, Tatsuki," murmured Orihime, looking at her best friend. There was a plea in her voice, a plea for Tatsuki to understand that Mutsuko was in need of help. "She needs my help. I'm the only one who understands her."

"Why can't she rely on us? We're all on the same side," Ichigo asked, crossing his arms. A sharp sting shot through his body at how easily this brunette could run to Orihime when all his dad tried to do was treat her.

Mutsuko's eyes flickered to him then, narrowed slightly—but to Ichigo, her attempt to be even remotely intimidating was ruined by the bruise on her left eye. She wasn't happy about the current circumstances; that much he could sense without being whacked over the head. When she averted her eyes, he found himself being angry again—which made no damn sense!

"This is beyond you, Orihime. Especially if it's the way I'm thinking it is." Tatsuki's tone was stern. She was used to Orihime, kind as the girl was, but Ichigo could see Tatsuki's side too. Tatsuki came to the same conclusion he did and, as Rukia had told him, this may go beyond them.

"If the parent is the concern," Mutsuko said in a voice just above a hoarse whisper, "then you've nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure about that?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her, which Mutsuko returned with equal fire.

"Not that it's any of your concern," she replied defensively, "but yes, I'm sure."

Silence hung over them at her words as Mutsuko's eyes dropped her gaze from Ichigo. Tatsuki exhaled slowly, her fingers curling into fists. "Look, I'm not saying it's good of you to help her, Orihime. Despite her saying it's all right, I think…" she trailed off.

Orihime sighed softly. "This is the right thing to do. I can't…I _won't_ send Mutsuko-chan away."

Mutsuko's barely flinched at Orihime's words, but Ichigo was sure she heard. Her eyes were utterly voided, as she kept her eyes on her lap. Whatever fire caused her to speak for herself had left her. Orihime looked to the brunette before she turned to her friends. "This is just going to be draining for Mutsuko-chan. I promise I'll explain more, just not now, okay?" she pleaded.

"Orihime-" Tatsuki began but Ichigo cut her off. "Leave it alone, Tatsuki."

Orihime shot him a grateful look before gently urging Mutsuko to her feet as though the girl were not older than five. Orihime kept her touch gentle as Mutsuko flinched when her bruises were touched. "Thank you both for dropping by and worrying!"

"Hang on," Ichigo barked abruptly. "Orihime, we need to get her checked out."

"Ichigo," Orihime met his gaze, her eyes hazing with concern.

"She's all banged up. My dad never got around to finishing treating her injuries." Ichigo averted his eyes, refusing to admit that he himself was worried about the girl Orihime was so adamant on assisting. The blankness in Mutsuko's eyes were more pronounced before Orihime gently shook her. "Mutsuko-chan, we're going to go to the doctor. Is that okay?" she asked.

A low hum barely counted as a response. Mutsuko blinked once, twice, before she shook her head slowly. "What…?" she mumbled.

"The doctor, Mutsuko-chan. Is it okay that we go to get you better?"

"Doctor…?"

"Yes."

"I…" Mutsuko's voice wavered, confusion creeping into her eyes before comprehension dawned in them and her body began to tremble. "No…I can't…not to a doctor."

Tatsuki frowned, standing up. "Orihime, is she?"

A pale hand rose to clutch at handfuls of brown hair as Mutsuko shut her eyes with a soft moan. "No…no doctors…please?" she murmured, swaying into Orihime. Ichigo tensed, shooting to his feet. "Is she okay?"

"I'm so…tired…" Mutsuko's knees buckled and Ichigo moved fast before the brunette swayed from Orihime to catch her before she fell. Orihime sighed heavily. "Poor thing. She must have been in so much pain and struggled to stay conscious."

"She needs a doctor, whether she wants one or not," Tatsuki said, going to Orihime's side.

"I'll take her to my dad. He can probably treat her again while she's unconscious," Ichigo said, sweeping the limp body of Mutsuko in his arms. Orihime nodded slowly in understanding as Tatsuki placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

Orihime's grey eyes flew to meet Ichigo's. "Take care of her, Ichigo. Mutsuko-chan…" Her eyes fell to the unconscious girl's face. "She needs to know that she won't be hurt anymore. She needs to know that we're here for her."

"I understand." Ichigo nodded and Orihime opened her door for him to hurry out to take Mutsuko back to his family's clinic. She was practically weightless in his arms and she barely stirred. His mind could only imagine what she went through after fleeing medical treatment yesterday and, even if she ended up thinking he was a bad guy, he was going to make sure she healed.

" _ **Hey…we'll meet again, right?"**_

 _Why were those words ringing through him now?_

"Nn…" The soft sound jerked him back from his thoughts as Ichigo felt Mutsuko stir in his arms. His eyes fell to her face briefly, seeing those black eyes fluttering open. "What…?" she whispered before awareness jolted her to reality. "Y-You!"

"The name's Ichigo."

"Put me down!"

"I'm not gonna do that."

If glares were knives, Ichigo was sure his face would be a pincushion. "Why are you involving yourself with me?" she asked in a low voice. "You don't even know me."

Ichigo shook his head in disbelief. "I have to know you in order to want to help? You're hurt."

"You understand absolutely nothing about me. I didn't ask you for help." Her voice was less harsh, almost unsure of Ichigo's motive in spite of his words. "So why? Why are you trying so hard?"

"Does it matter?" Ichigo shot at her, looking ahead instead of at her face. "I'm helping you as Orihime's friend."

She was silent, as if digesting his words bit by bit, before her eyes closed. "As Orihime's friend…huh…" she mumbled before her head fell heavily against Ichigo's arm as she fell into unconsciousness once more.


	4. Hear First

_Wrote this before the Thanksgiving time where I won't be able to. Sorry that it is so short Q~Q_

* * *

Two hours since Ichigo had brought Mutsuko back into the clinic and the girl had been unsconscious the entire time. He watched as his dad had checked to make sure nothing had been damaged worse than just her skin, surprised that Mutsuko didn't even stir that Ichigo almost wondered if she was dead.

But no, she was still breathing. She had to have been running on adrenaline and fear to remain conscious as long as she had. His dad banished him into the house so that he could continue treating Mutsuko, only allowing him and his sisters back there once Mutsuko had some guazes on her arms and a splint on her left ankle.

"Who is she anyway, Ichigo?" asked Karin as she looked up at her older brother. Ichigo scratched the back of his head before sighing heavily. "She's a friend of Orihime's," he answered. "

Yuzu, holding an ice pack in her hand, winced at the bruise on Mutsuko's pale cheek and Ichigo could only imagine her reaction to the bruise on her eye. Ichigo himself could barely stomach down the sight. It caused tendrils of unease to rise in the orange-haired male, the stalks winding around his heart fast. Yuzu stepped forward to the left side of the medical cot where Mutsuko laid unconscious, her eyes brimming with tears before she gently pressed the ice pack against Mutsuko's left eye. Ichigo could only imagine what Yuzu was feeling, seeing so much pain on a girl that looked no older than her brother.

A sharp intake of breath drew his attention as Mutsuko's fingers twitched against the linen sheets. Yuzu withdrew for just a moment as Mutsuko pushed herself up, her arms trembling from either pain or exertion, strands of brown hair falling in front of her eyes. She slowly moved her head, taking in her location with hazy eyes, blinking at her bandages owlishly. It was strange; before she fell unconscious on the way, Ichigo made her aware she was getting treated in his family's clinic. Yet here she was, not barely even aware, like she didn't know.

Karin was at Yuzu's side in a blink of an eye, her hands on Yuzu's shoulders to gently pull her away from Mutsuko. Ichigo, on the other hand, drew her attention of him. "How are you feeling?"

Mutsuko blinked at him, a flicker of recognition in her dark eyes. "You..." she murmured softly. "You were the one who pulled me back..."

"That's right." He nodded. "You were about to throw yourself in front of a train." The words sent shards of ice through his veins, the question of what would have happened if he and his friends hadn't been walking by to see her where she was. Mutsuko's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion and Ichigo felt his heart weighing heavily inside of him at how much pain she must be feeling in that eye of hers. "My dad fixed you up after I brought you here from Orihime's a few hours ago. Remember?" he told her.

"When was I...?" A frown crossed Mutsuko's visage, brows drawn in confusion as she raised a hand to her forehead. "Strange, I don't..."

"You can't tell me you don't-" began Ichigo crossly, and at the darkening frown on Mutsuko's face was when he realized it. There was no recollection in her eyes at the memory. "...Sorry. What do you remember?"

"The train crossing. Hearing the train coming. And...you." Mutsuko bit down on her lip as her left hand slowly enclosed over her right wrist and Ichigo remembered. He grabbed her and yanked her back by the wrist, effectively shocking them both. "You saved me...why?"

"Why did you want to die?" The words were out before Ichigo could stop himself and Mutsuko averted her eyes, her shoulders rising up to her ears. She was clamming up, withdrawing into her pallor shell and shutting him out.

"Ichigo," whispered Yuzu. "I think she should rest…"

Mutsuko said nothing, a sign that she really was done talking. Despite that, Ichigo wasn't going to throw her out. Not until he got an answer out of her. "Take care of her, Yuzu," he told his sister briskly.

Those deathly eyes flew to his before he turned his back and walked away.

* * *

"What was that?"

Not even two minutes into his room and Rukia was already on his ass. Ichigo glared at the female Soul Reaper from where he sat on his bed. "What do you mean?"

"Your behavior towards the girl currently in your father's clinic. He and Yuzu were urging her to eat and she refused. What did you do to make her close up?" asked Rukia sternly, crossing her arms.

Ichigo gritted his teeth. Of course it was about that. "I asked her a simple question."

"And that was?"

"Why she was about to throw herself in front of a train."

"Why on earth would you ask her that!" Rukia's stern tone of voice, while she used it a lot, surprised Ichigo in this context. She only saw Mutsuko once and the fact that her aura screamed in irritation at Ichigo, he couldn't ponder why.

"What's your problem?" he asked.

"Why would you ask her that when she doesn't trust you enough to give the answer?" snapped Rukia. "You've seen it yourself, that girl is scared out of her mind! Being invasive isn't going to get her to open to you!"

"She opened to Orihime enough, maybe I can ask her what Mutsuko's deal is," suggested Ichigo irritably. He didn't like going behind Mutsuko's back to get information instead of (probably gently for once) asking her, but she wasn't talking. Rukia had a point that the girl didn't trust him, but she trusted Orihime enough to probably tell her what was happening. It was an option he had. However, his mind contradicted the idea. Orihime was trustworthy. If Mutsuko told Orihime anything, then Orihime was keeping her mouth shut.

The sound of rapid footfall echoed from outside of his room before his door burst open. Yuzu stood in the threshold, panting heavily. "Ichigo..."

"Yuzu? What's wrong?" Ichigo frowned. He knew his sister could be overreactive at times in comparison with Karin.

"I-It's Mutsuko-san!"

Whether Yuzu said more or Rukia interrupted her, Ichigo wasn't sure. A deathly wail, one only the spiritually aware could hear, shattered the calm. Ichigo caught Rukia's eyes before Rukia nodded. "Go downstairs, make sure everyone is safe," she ordered. Ichigo was already being tugged by Yuzu, whose head was turned back to the hall right as Rukia emerged from her gigai and jumped out of Ichigo's window.

Yuzu pulled Ichigo down the stairs hard in her concern for the stranger currently in their care. Once they were in the family room, Ichigo's eyes fell on Mutsuko standing in front of the glass sliding doors, her left leg trembling from, likely, her putting her weight on the sprain. Her back was to them and Karin was frowning.

Ichigo directed his attention to his other sister. "What is she looking at?"

"I don't know, but she hasn't moved. Just came out here looking like a zombie and she's...just standing there." Karin's voice was a whisper, something Ichigo was unused to. Karin was rarely spooked; something about Mutsuko set her on edge.

Ichigo walked toward her, his guard up. The last time he was in close proximity with her in the clinic, she was struggling to free herself by trying to beat him. "Hey, what are you looking at?"

Silence was the response he recieved and a light shiver raced up his spine in droves when he heard another deathly wails he recognized. The Hollow sounded way too close.

Mutsuko slowly lifted a bandaged hand, laying it against the glass, her attention fixated on the other side. Frowning, Ichigo tentatively placed a hand on Mutsuko's shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice. The concern only grew, coating his throat, when Mutsuko didn't even stir, barely gave a flinch. Her entire composure was of an eerie calm, not even her fingers twitched. The only movement was the tremble of her left leg.

Ichigo strained his ears, frustration brewing within him now. He didn't like having Rukia battle a Hollow by herself in case there was more than one; however, he could no longer hear the wailing of it, but could still feel a faint spiritual pressure.

Mutsuko's hand fell from the glass and, just as suddenly, the reiatsu vanished. The sound of movement upstairs could only mean Rukia returned from slaying the Hollow. Ichigo frowned, unease settling into his mind like a stone in a river. While he no longer heard the Hollow (which are particularly noisy in battle to the spiritually aware), the strange lingering of spiritual pressure that could only belong to a Hollow hovered in the air before he turned his eyes back to Mutsuko.

She was looking at him now, her left leg raised slightly from the floor as if she had it that way the entire time. She blinked at him owlishly, even as Yuzu ambled over, fussing. His frown darkening, Ichigo lowered his voice. "Did you hear that?"

Two heartbeats was all it took for Mutsuko to slowly, almost eeriely doll-like, tilt her head before she answered, her voice lighter than the air they breathed.

 _"Did you want me to?"_


	5. Damnata I

He should have been mindful of her healing injuries; he really should have. But his mind was racing as fast as his heart was, perhaps more so than when he yanked her from the train tracks. After telling his sisters something about having a talk with their new house guest, Ichigo nearly dragged Mutsuko from the door and up the stairs to his room. He calculated that Rukia would likely be back in her gigai by the time Ichigo reached his room.

This was unlike him. He was hardly shaken by most things, but this girl-this damn girl-was a curveball continuously being thrown at him that he didn't know how to catch her. He threw the door open with enough force to startle Rukia, who turned her blue eyes to him in surprise, as he pulled Mutsuko inside. Rukia's shock melted into confusion. "Ichigo, why did you bring her up here?" she asked.

Ichigo eased his grip on Mutsuko's wrist, looking back to see the brunette rubbing where he had his grip on her. A twinge of guilt rang inside of him at the sight. He had to have startled Mutsuko as much. He turned away, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Sorry," he bit out. "I must have scared you."

"You do not scare me." Mutsuko's soft voice filled the silence, the crack in her words unveiling itself. It made Ichigo think; if he didn't scare Mutsuko with something as superficial as a scowl or even how he handled bringing her up to his room, then it only served to deepen the concern in his mind with the knowledge that this frail girl in his room that he barely knew had seen more frightening things.

Rukia moved around Ichigo and approached Mutsuko, gently outstretching her hand. "Trust me, Nanashi-san, you are safe here. Ichigo and his family are very good people. You've nothing to fear," she told her soothingly, trying to assauge whatever fears Mutsuko must have held for the home of a stranger. When Mutsuko didn't move, didn't attempt to push her away, Rukia gently took Mutsuko's hand and guided her toward Ichigo's bed. Ichigo could see Mutsuko tense at the at the sight of the bed from the corner of his eye before Mutsuko sat down hesitantly.

Ichigo turned his attention to her fully now. "Did you hear what that sound was outside?" he asked.

Mutsuko's coal eyes met his, her lips pressed a thin line, which made Ichigo think of her words downstairs when he asked the first time. _"Did you want me to?"_

Even in her silence, Ichigo could feel it in his gut that Mutsuko heard the Hollow outside and was likely able to see it.

Rukia placed a gentle hand on Mutsuko's shoulder, an action that caused the girl to flinch. "It's okay if you did, Nanashi-san."

The brunette shook her head. "I don't know what either of you are talking about."

"You either heard or you saw. Why stand at the door like you were?" asked Ichigo gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. Rukia shot the orange-haired reaper a withering look at his lack of grace for a rather fragile individual. Mutsuko's eyes narrowed into a soft glare, an attempt to be intimidating. "You seem to know everything for someone who has just met me," she muttered, her voice dripping with enough ice to freeze the air they breathed. "Never mind the fact that yes, you saved my life and yes, you brought me here to be treated."

"That sounds like you're ungrateful that I helped you," Ichigo growled.

Mutsuko's eyes were pitch-black daggers, stabbing themselves into his soul. "I never asked you to help me."

"Enough," Rukia cut in sternly before Ichigo could retort, armed with fire in his veins. Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo observed the tension in Mutsuko, at how her shoulders were locked, her hands curled into fists against the denim of her jeans. She was moving on defensive instinct alone.

To protect herself. Ichigo relaxed at the thought. Mutsuko was reacting the only way she could.

When he didn't speak, Mutsuko's glare softened to a frown. "What?" she asked.

Ichigo shrugged. "You must have gone through a lot, to be defensive like this."

It was as if he could feel Mutsuko withdrawing into her shell. "That has nothing to do with you. Nor with Orihime either, so do not even think of asking her."

"You were staying with her. She skipped school to try and help you." Ichigo couldn't help the edge in his voice. Orihime was the kindest soul he'd ever known and the fact that she was getting involved with-well, essentially a runaway, was enough for Ichigo to help for Orihime's sake.

"That doesn't mean I've told her everything. Orihime has been nothing if not kind to me. I would never involve her in..." Mutsuko trailed off, the ice and fire in her voice gone as her eyes lowered to the floor. Her hands rose as she attempted to hug herself, bringing her legs up to rest her forehead against her knees. She positively carried the heavy cloud of hopelessness and pain on her skin like a thick shell.

"In what?" Rukia murmured, trying to get the conversation going. Mutsuko had been on the verge of saying something crucial before she caught herself. "Nanashi-san, in what? Were you trying to protect Orihime?"

Mutsuko curled further into herself, but Ichigo was surprised when she answered. "Orihime is my only friend. Of course I'd try to protect her. She should never see any pain or evil, especially within those she cares for." She paused, as if gauging her next set of words. "You both should know this, do you not?"

"What do you mean, Nanashi-san?" asked Rukia. The Soul Reaper almost wished the girl would lift her head to look at her and Ichigo, to see the sincerity that they meant no harm to a friend of Orihime's.

"Orihime has spoken of Ichigo and Rukia to me. I think she deeply admires you both." Mutsuko's voice was awed at what she spoke of. "Are you not protective of her, as she is your dearest friend?"

"Of course we are," Ichigo answered before Rukia did. "Orihime's been trying to help you. Why won't you let us do the same?"

"People who have helped me got hurt." Mutsuko's feet were back on the ground and she stood up. Her eyes were large and haunted, the resignation stark and yet so heavy that it only further pronounced her fragility. Looking into them as he was now, Ichigo knew what this ice in his blood was for. In all the battles he had fought in his life, he recognized those eyes, the eyes that should never glimmer from the irises of those who moved to survive.

They were the eyes of the dead.

"Yes, I should go," Mutsuko whispered, more to herself than to them as if she were continuing a different conversation. "I mustn't impose on you any longer."

"Nanashi-san," Rukia began but Mutsuko shook her head.

"Please. You've done enough for me. Leave me be," she continued, still in a whisper.

Ichigo stood his ground, then. "No."

Focus came back into those black eyes as Mutsuko frowned. "No?"

"You're in no condition to be going anywhere by yourself. You're so banged up, you're in pain even if we just keep our touch light." Ichigo sighed gruffly, scratching the back of his head. "Besides, I told Orihime that I'd help you. I'm keeping that promise."

Mutsuko's expression closed off, the daze replaced by stone. "You shouldn't be involved any more than you already are. I am asking for you to leave me be and to not interfere," her voice was just as hard as the mask she wore. "You've intervened in my death in a knee-jerk response to save someone who may not even have wanted to be saved at all."

A stunned silence hung between Ichigo and Rukia at Mutsuko's words before she moved to the door. She stopped, considering something before speaking. "You've asked if I heard what was outside. I did hear. However, I am surprised you could hear it too."

"Why is that?" Ichigo asked, overcoming the shock of her prior words for a moment.

Mutsuko turned her head slightly to look at Ichigo, lifeless strands of brown hair framing her face. The eyes were back, those eyes that spoke volumes should only belong to the dead. Her lips curled into a soft smile, but it lacked warmth. "The call wasn't for you."

She turned and walked out of his room and Ichigo could swear his heartbeat was banging in his ears. "Rukia," he muttered, his throat dry.

"What is it?" Rukia's voice was nothing short of a murmur, but Ichigo could hear the trembling.

"Did that Hollow say anything? Or was...looking for something?"

Rukia was silent for what felt like an eternity before she spoke.

"It said it was looking for its heart."

* * *

Mutsuko had left the clinic, the kind family, while the sky was as dark as her heart. She knew that call anywhere. Of course it would look for her, especially after she fled at its behest. However, it had taken long-too long-to find her, which was why she had run to Orihime in spite of her swearing to not bring harm to the girl with the kind smile. Mutsuko loved Orihime like a sister; she was not going to let her even see a crevice of the darkness. She knew what monsters lay in wait for the purity of a broken soul.

She was nothing without it, without the one that called for her while she was inside of that clinic with the boy and his sisters. She could barely hear their words but she sensed them, felt them, and she felt angry. They were interfering in it, in him, finding her. Something else had blocked him from finding her. Yet...

He heard his call. It was a disconcerting thought.

 _Don't think about it_. Mutsuko shook her head furiously as she glided further into the dark streets like a ghost, like the dead.

Like _nothing_. Her name, and what she had been told her entire, meaningless existence by the very ones who were supposed to love her. She did not exist. She was not supposed to exist. She was nothing.

But not to him. Not to the one who called for her to come out. No, she was _something_ , that she knew. What, exactly, she wasn't sure.

Though she will find out. She will find out and have no one interfere this time.


	6. Aftermath I

"So she ran away again..." Orihime's voice was soft, gentle, and Ichigo almost wished the girl would be angry, demanding at how he didn't stop her fragile, likely spiritually aware, friend from fleeing once again. Instead, Orihime sounded resigned, though her grey eyes reflected a sadness for a friend who was too broken to rely on anyone.

It was the lunch period the next morning and Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu had taken to going up to the roof to talk about what had happened. Uryu had asked to know every detail, from how a girl fled from the clinic the first time, only to end up there again when she was found with Orihime. Chad, silent, had observed how tense Ichigo had been. The orange-haired male had wanted to go out as a Soul Reaper and find Mutsuko before some Hollow devoured her, but Rukia had put a stop to his idea as Nanashi Mutsuko had clearly displayed her lack of trust in Ichigo and Rukia. The Hollow that arrived was slain by Rukia's hand and had said those chilling words about finding its heart before it died.

"Has anything like that ever come up before?" asked Uryu, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "A Hollow looking for its heart?"

Rukia shook her head, her arms folding over her chest. "The only thing I know of Hollows to do is to devour. They hunt. In my experience, I've never heard of a Hollow looking for a heart before. What was even more concerning was that this was a low-level Hollow that gave me the feeling that it was underling for an even more powerful Hollow."

"Like an Arrancar?" asked Chad.

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility," Rukia answered seriously.

"A-And you're sure Mutsuko-chan heard it?" asked Orihime, her eyes positively glistening with worry that eliminated her from telling Mutsuko about the world normal humans couldn't see.

"She said that the call wasn't for us, it was for her. If anything, she had something to do with that Hollow Rukia killed last night." Ichigo didn't want to say these words, didn't want to see Orihime wince in her distress. He didn't want to assume that some girl was associated in any way with Hollows, but there was nothing to disprove otherwise. Mutsuko had run off in the dead of night, surprised that Ichigo and Rukia could hear the Hollow more than they were surprised to know that she could. While Ichigo hadn't yet experienced that twisting, grinding feeling of foreboding-which he could only assume was a sign that Nanashi Mutsuko was still alive-he did feel the heavy weight of unease on his mind, which made him remember his nightmare from when he first laid eyes on her.

She was broken beyond recognition in that nightmare, not a breath in her body. Whatever she was trying to find, whatever monster she attracted, was going to get her killed. He could feel it and he didn't want to see it. For whatever reason, perhaps maybe his own nature, he wanted to see Mutsuko alive.

She disappeared into the night after talking to Ichigo and Rukia and never looked back. Part of him wanted to just disregard it and cut his losses, since she had aptly put it herself that she didn't ask to be saved. If anything, she saw the one who saved her life as an interference to meet her death. Who knows if she would try something like that again and succeed this time around.

But she could have at any time. That's what shook him up inside the most. She didn't have to run to Orihime that time; she could have just run to meet her death and greet it like an old friend.

"Ichigo? Are you okay?" Orihime's voice broke through Ichigo's thoughts and he brought his attention back to the present. He nodded. "I'm fine."

Rukia's eyes narrowed at his words and Ichigo was sure she didn't buy his words as easily as the others did. That's what came down to it. He wasn't fine with the idea of someone like Mutsuko out in the streets, getting by with however she could, and not involving Orihime whom she practically revered.

 _"Of course I'd try to protect her."_ She said that as a reason to not disclose to Orihime anything that would risk her safety, to protect her from retaliation if it turned its eye onto her. Ichigo zeroed back into the conversation when Uryu asked Orihime, "Did Nanashi-san try to contact you last night?"

Orihime shook her head. "She does that sometimes, but she didn't this time. I don't know where she is or who she could be with..." she trailed off, the worry even more pronounced in her eyes that her friends were unsure of how to reassure her. They hardly knew Orihime's friend, only that her body had been broken along with her spirit. Assuming, of course, that the Hollow she attracted hadn't devoured her already.

 _"The call wasn't for you."_

What link did she have with a Hollow, of all things? It didn't make sense.

"Rukia," Chad's low voice was tentative as he voiced a question that Ichigo was sure was on everyone else's mind, "what happens when a Hollow finds its heart?"

Rukia looked down as she muttered the words that did not ease their minds. "I don't know."

* * *

After school, Orihime walked home alone. While Tatsuki usually came with her and slept over, Orihime was not in the state to have her usual guest over. Her heart and mind ached heavily with worry over her friend, who was fragile and not in her right mind. Mutsuko knew Orihime would have coaxed her into getting medical attention, despite how much she refused.

Mutsuko's circumstances had been just like hers. However, unlike Orihime, Mutsuko didn't have an older sibling to protect her; she bore the abuse all by herself with no one there to hear her scream. At least, Orihime hoped someone heard her scream, but then the thought filled her with simmering anger that someone heard and simply chose to ignore a child in distress.

It hadn't been the first time Mutsuko had ran away from home. However, it had been the first time she had run to Orihime, bruised beyond belief with her eye completely black and a limp in her step and covered with blood. For months prior to that, Orihime had tried to coax Mutsuko to tell her everything that happened, but the damaged girl was shutting her out and closing in on herself. By the time she arrived in her blood-covered, bruised condition, Orihime let her take a long bath, helping her as she didn't want Mutsuko to exert her bruised arms.

Orihime had noticed how Ichigo looked whenever Mutsuko was around. There was a frustration in his eyes that Orihime felt was resonating with the frustration she held in her own core. Orihime was there in the pouring rain when Ichigo suddenly took off, ignoring the calls of hers and their friends. When they all moved, all saw Ichigo pull the girl back from the tracks before her life was taken, cold dread had filled Orihime at the knowledge that Mutsuko had tried to take her life again.

Three times. Mutsuko had tried three times and her life would never leave her body. Orihime was relieved, but so very distressed at how if Ichigo hadn't noticed Mutsuko as they walked, they would have seen her mangled corpse in front of tons of metal. The distress would have escalated further to how it was now. Shaking her head with a soft sigh, Orihime prayed to the gods above that her friend was alright, her thoughts flying upward toward the stars and further out to the stratosphere.

"Please be okay...Mutsuko-chan."

* * *

 _There was once a girl._

 _She was born into an unfortunate circumstance._

 _She was a child who was unloved in her home, who did not exist in the eyes of the mother and father that conceived her._

 _She was nothing to them, which meant she was nothing to the world._

 _At least until..._

A sharp shake of her head was all Mutsuko needed to shatter those memories. She had no need for them, not now that she was free, now that she had found the one who was searching for her after aiding her escape. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a cold body while they remained in the darkness that became their home.

"What are you thinking about?" A deep, low voice whispered that filled her with warmth despite of how cold the owner was to the touch. She leaned against him, closing her eyes. "Not thinking. Only haunted," she replied just as softly. A light cold swept up her arms, the sensation seeping beneath her skin before fingers hooked into the bandages that concealed her arms and gently tugged.

Mutsuko winced, the bandages peeling away from her body like an outer skin that was shedding. The strands looped over themselves as they were spiraling to the floor, revealing smooth, pale skin underneath, not a mark to be seen. "There," the voice whispered into her ear, the breath cold against her flesh. "Those bruises were so unsightly. It was disgusting how they would put their hands on you..." His voice was a snarl and Mutsuko shuddered.

"Fi." Her voice was colder than the most bitter winters, something her longtime companion recognized for he released her. "You know I am indebted to you. I would not have survived this long. But..."

She trailed off, keeping her eyes closed. She felt the faintest touch of cold, slender fingers against the curve of her cheek and lips pressing against her temple. "It shouldn't be much longer," the one she called "Fi" murmured softly. "Be patient and we will be together always." He threaded his fingers through her hair, the murky strands sliding between the digits. "That is what you want, isn't it, _mi nena_?"

"Yes," Mutsuko affirmed, her eyes opening to the darkness, raising a hand to rest it against her chest, feeling her heart pounding beneath her flesh. It was a sign of her existence, that heart that beat so strong and alive.

When she felt her small, fragile hand engulfed by the cold she was so familiar with. Slender fingers twined with hers tightly, keeping her hand still so he could feel her life pulsing. Mutsuko sighed softly, looking to the only window they had to the outside from where they stood. Out there was someone she trusted other than Fi, someone who wanted to help her.

But there was a reason she never let that someone too close. It was because she had Fi.

And soon, Fi will have her for eternity.


	7. The King and the Mad Hatter

_**So...hungry...**_

 _It was time. She knew it. He couldn't survive just by feeding on the darkness in her heart. She knew she would have to allow it. He couldn't maintain his own form far from her body on his own._

 _She shut her eyes tightly._

 _He needed her…_

 _ **Must devour...**_

 _She clapped her hands over her ears, a grin splitting her face from ear to ear._

 _Her eyes slowly slid open, the irises pooled in golden ice._

It was as unnerving as sin that Inoue Orihime hadn't gotten word from her friend. It was as if Nanashi Mutsuko disappeared on the wind, like she never existed.

Yet, that's exactly what had happened. Mutsuko hadn't been seen since she left the clinic and no one, not even her, knew if she was even in Karakura anymore. Orihime had explained everything to Tatsuki when her friend came over to eat dinner and spend the night, knowing that sooner or later that she would know.

Tatsuki, for her part, was rightfully upset that Orihime hadn't told her about the situation; upset, yet understanding. A battered girl like Mutsuko was going to run to someone she trusted outside of her hell and Tatsuki understood that Orihime would not betray Mutsuko's confidence in her. Orihime was too good for that.

When it came to Kurosaki Ichigo, Orihime understood his frustration. The substitute Soul Reaper was a worrywart and someone he tried to help had left before she was even finished being treated for her injuries. Seeing the new bruise that discolored Mutsuko's eye was as twistedly sickening for Orihime just as much as it had been for Ichigo to see it. On top of that, knowing that Mutsuko was spiritually aware was bound to attract Hollows in search of something to devour. The last thing anyone needed on their conscious was Mutsuko's body in the jaws of a Hollow.

Uryu, Chad, and Rukia had tried to understand; they weren't in close proximity to the girl like they were. They saw the bruises, but did not see how deeper the pain ran. They didn't see the emptiness in her eyes or felt the tension in her aura. It was even more so when Ichigo's family didn't even bring Mutsuko up, almost as if they were convinced she would never come back.

They weren't sure what to do by this point.

* * *

"You've got that look in your eyes again."

Ichigo looked up from where he sat on his bed, lost in thought. Rukia sat at his desk, dressed in the flannel pajamas she had taken from Yuzu's room, arms folded over her chest. Her blue eyes were fixed on the substitute Soul Reaper, a hint of concern hazing in their depths.

"What look?" Ichigo couldn't help the edge entering his voice, an edge Rukia undoubtedly picked up on. He wasn't in the mood for his thoughts to be interrupted in any sense while he was trying to figure something out.

"The girl doesn't want to be helped nor does she want to be found, Ichigo," murmured Rukia, her arms falling from her chest. "If she did, she would have at least contacted Orihime."

Clicking his tongue irritably, Ichigo averted his gaze to his bedroom window. "Not unless she felt like Orihime sold her out to the rest of us."

"You don't know that for certain."

"What damaged person doesn't want to be helped?"

"How do you know she's damaged?" Rukia sensed her orange-haired friend had not meant the obvious bruises the person of their conversation bore on her battered body. When Ichigo didn't look at her, she almost wanted to drop the subject altogether before he spoke.

"It was her eyes." Ichigo could never forget those eyes for as long as he lived. He knew that if Rukia, a seasoned Soul Reaper, had looked into Nanashi Mutsuko's eyes, she would see the same thing he did. "Her eyes were blank…like looking into the eyes of a corpse. That girl…she's trying to tell me something. I know it."

"Ichigo, she's fled care from your family twice now. If she wanted to tell you something half as odd as a Hollow's call being for her, she would have." Rukia couldn't understand the sentiment the strawberry had. It made no sense.

"I know that!" Irritation seeped into Ichigo's voice as he tore his gaze from the window to look at Rukia. "But I can't shake this damn feeling that…" He paused, desisting in voicing the last bit of that thought out loud, yet his mind finished it.

 _She knows I can see how broken she is._

Rukia opened her mouth, no doubt to continue the discussion right as a shrill ringing blared in his room from her pocket. Ichigo knew that sound. "A Hollow."

Rukia pushed herself up from the chair with ease, popping a soul candy into her mouth at the same time Ichigo placed his badge against his chest. At the same time, they burst from their bodies and leapt out of Ichigo's window, moving toward the reiatsu of the Hollow. Rukia frowned slightly. The reiatsu was definitely that of a Hollow, yet something felt…unusual. As though there were an underlying current of a different reiatsu mixed with the Hollow's.

"Rukia!" Ichigo's voice broke through Rukia's thoughts as a shadow lunged toward her. Rukia ground her teeth, reaching for her zanpakuto; but the spirit had gotten to close for her to unsheath her blade.

In a flash, the blade of Ichigo's zanpakuto slid between the enemy and Rukia, swinging with the intention to cleave the shadow in two. The shadow leapt back with almost frightening agility. Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the enemy.

Their face was hidden beneath a flowing, black hood, yet a potent reiatsu that could only belong to a Hollow was radiating off of their being. "Who the hell are you?!" roared Ichigo, pointing the blade of his zanpakuto toward the unfamiliar enemy.

A low, distorted sound emanated from the cloaked Hollow that sounded suspiciously like laughter before it rose into a hysterical pitch. "You've come to ruin our dinner, quite rude!"

Anger spiked in Ichigo, locking within him. "Answer the question, dammit! Who are you and what the hell do you want?"

A cold, pale, slender hand snapped from the folds of the billowing cloak, closing around his throat and Ichigo was thrown by the sheer strength and speed. What kind of Hollow was this thing? It moved as fast as an Arrancar—

Ichigo grabbed at the thin wrist, squeezing tight to yank it away from him. He could see the hints of smirk beneath the hood, widening until it practically split the face.

Rukia lunged, bringing her blade down toward the arm of the fiend attacking them. The creature released Ichigo's throat, preparing to move away from the attack. Rukia's blade did not draw blood, but a chunk of the hood had been sliced off as the being drew back. Ichigo rubbed his neck, coughing a bit, before he glaring at the bowed hood. The laughter rose even higher, the pitch more hysterical than before when it suddenly stopped and the figure stood with only half of the hood still in place. Very slowly, the figure turned.

Ichigo's eyes widened as ice flooded his veins that he barely registered Rukia being by his side. The face that turned toward him, as her hand rose to pull off the remnant of the torn hood so that her hair fell into her eyes like before. Her skin was as pale as the skull of a Hollow, free of the bruises that marred it before, the whites of her eyes black and the irises gold. A mad grin was on her face as she looked at him. "You've interrupted our meal, Soul Reapers," she crooned, slender fingers close to her mouth. "You've interrupted and that is _unforgivable_!"

"Ichigo, is that…" Rukia murmured, her voice trembling, as she gazed at the spectre before them overflowing with power.

"Mutsuko." Ichigo's grip on his sword was becoming lax, his pulse racing hot instead of ice. Yet something in his mind told him that this thing wasn't the girl he tried to help.

" _No_ ," Mutsuko's lips were twisted in a feral grin. " _Mi nena_ is sleeping right now while I feed for us both. She is not present," her distorted voice announced as she tossed her head. "You have the _honor_ of having me as your enemy."

"If you're not Nanashi-san, then who are you?" demanded Rukia, pointing her zanpakuto at the mad girl who looked at them with the eyes of a Hollow.

"Morfirio." Mutsuko bowed extravagantly, gesturing her arm to her chest in greeting, strands of white hair falling in her face. "Pleasure to meet you. Thank you for taking care of my host."

Ichigo's eyes widened. _Host?!_


	8. Aftermath II

_I was far behind with this one. Life caught up with me._

* * *

 _Host._

That word sent a collective chill permeating from Ichigo to Rukia.

Mutsuko-no, Morfirio-peered at them, that wicked smile still on her lips. Her entire being was unlike anything they'd ever seen, despite the fact that she appeared human to them not so long ago.

"It didn't take long to heal _mi nena_ ," Morfirio murmured, speaking with Mutsuko's mouth, moving with her body as she touched her eye-the eye, Ichigo remembered, that was completely black when he last saw her. "However it was such a _disgusting_ display. You humans can be such violent creatures to your own offspring."

"Are you saying..." Ichigo began, but the thought barely left his throat. He had heard of one parent abusing their child and the other being negligent or trying to flee if they had been the buffer between the child and the abuser.

However, both parents abusing their child? That would mean Mutsuko had no reprieve…

A mirthless laugh tore from her lips. "Foolish boy. _Mi nena_ doesn't trust you to divulge that information. I, on the other hand, do not believe you to not mean her harm. After all, you have stopped us from being together that day in the rain."

 _The day we met, when I pulled her away from the tracks_. Mutsuko and this Morfirio using her body as a puppet...

She was going to throw herself in front of a train for some _thing_ hitching a ride with her body?

"Are you a Hollow?" demanded Rukia, glaring at her.

Mutsuko's eyes flickered to Rukia's sapphire orbs, that chilling grin still in place. "Since you've asked so politely," she cooed, her fingers drifting to her tattered cloak and, with a rough yank, tore the fabric away from her body, unveiling a pure white dress hugging her form and her feet bare. The smile erased from her face as though it disappeared on the wind, raising her hand to hover over her chest. "Break, Corazon Caido," she murmured.

A steady, booming beat rang in the air, burrowing into Ichigo's ears that he was sure he would go deaf from the sound alone. He almost thought it was a parade of drums down below, but the sound was close. _Too close_.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice was tinged with horror, her eyes fixed on Mutsuko, so Ichigo followed Rukia's gaze-only to recoil.

The fabric of the dress was stained crimson-because a sword's hilt was slowly emerging from where her heart was, to that incessantly loud noise drumming steadily in Ichigo's ears. Mutsuko grabbed the hilt, jerking the hilt away from her chest in a sickeningly slow pace until she freed the blade from the confines of her bloodied chest.

The blood-soaked blade pulsed in her grip, a heart clutched tightly in her hand. Her eyes were manic as she pointed the blade toward the Soul Reapers. "You should really be careful of who you save, Kurosaki Ichigo. Especially a girl who did not need you to save her."

"What are you talking about? You're saying I should have let her die?" demanded Ichigo, clenching Zangetsu in his hand. "Sorry, but I wasn't gonna let that happen!"

Something flickered in those golden eyes before they narrowed, focusing inwardly. At first, Ichigo had thought he had gotten through, reaching the girl who slept beneath the control.

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, Mutsuko was before him, bringing the bloody blade down with enough force to carve into flesh and bone. Ichigo blocked with the side of his zanpakuto, gritting his teeth hard in determination to keep her at bay. For such a frail thing, the girl was strong and he could sense the power radiating from her that belonged to whatever kind of Hollow Morfirio was. Rukia swung from Mutsuko's left, hoping to incapacitate her; however, just as swiftly, Mutsuko's right hand released the hilt of her sword and grabbed Rukia's blade, curling her fingers over the glinting metal. Drops of blood beaded against the edges of Rukia's blade before a thin river slid from Mutsuko's palm. Her eyes were narrowed and a smirk twisted her lips. "You both should really develop your manners. Attacking a poor girl at the same time is quite rude."

"And controlling a hurting girl isn't?" snarled Ichigo, rage bubbling in his chest. Even though it was Mutsuko's face, he couldn't see _her_ looking at him.

" _Mi nena_ does not need your pity, Soul Reaper. She has me and soon, I will have her." The golden irises flickered dangerously as the pressure on Zangetsu's blade increased. Ichigo's eyes flickered to Rukia's shocked expression, to understand the sheer magnitude of strength of a fragile girl was not his imagination.

" _Please…"_

Ichigo's eyes widened as the voice drifted into his mind, familiar because he had heard it in their interactions and even in that odd dream he had before. _She's there…_

"Rukia, get back!" yelled Ichigo, pushing Mutsuko back with enough force to knock her to the ground.

"Ichigo-" Rukia began, her voice was warning, but Ichigo stopped her. "Let me handle her, okay?" he called, keeping his eyes on Mutsuko as she twirled the sword in her hand.

" _Please…"_ Her voice was pleading, laced with tears, playing in his head like a broken record. Mutsuko charged at him, swinging the blade down and Ichigo quickly maneuvered to block her. The vibrations of the clashing steel shot down to his hands and, just as jolting, Ichigo heard a cacophony of sounds ringing in his head, the images swirling in his head…

 _A small girl, trying to make herself disappear against the corner as two shadows lumbered toward her. Her black eyes were wide, her pale cheeks streaked with tears before a hand grabbed handfuls of dark hair and yanked, causing the child to scream in pain…_

 _The girl is a little older when she was outside, her body covered in bruises, lanky hair hanging down to her shoulders jaggedly, as if someone crudely cut the ends. Her eyes were vacant, as hollow as her cold expression, as her eyes turned to the ground…_

" _ **My child. Such pain you are in."**_

 _A broken mask lay at her feet, with a rather intricate pattern meant to cover the right side of someone's face._ **A Hollow's mask, he realized.**

 _She picked it up, her expression barely shifting, as she held the mask in her small hands._

" _ **I can help you. I can protect you. I can heal you."**_

 **And she believed it…**

 _The girl was now a teen, the mask in her hand, standing over two bodies. Her left eye was gold, right eye black; yet both were vacant. Her pale skin was covered in new bruises, but also dyed in deepest, darkest red. The scent of iron was heavy, contaminating the air like an airborne disease. She looked at the bodies, no remorse or sympathy etched on her face. There was not even an ounce of mourning as she raised the mask to her face, not quite on, but obscuring the right half of her face._

" _ **Do it."**_

 _She covered her face, the mask cold, but alive, against her flesh. It melded to her perfectly before it began to sink into her pale skin._

" _Morfirio. Let me sleep when the time is right."_

With a snarl, Ichigo pushed back with all his strength, moving to slice into Mutsuko's side. A sharp cry escaped her as she fell back, clutching at the wound, blood spurting from between her slender fingers, her zanpakuto shattering from her hand and the shards disappeared into the wind. Ichigo reached out to grab her shoulder—

-and his fingers wrapped around her throat. Ichigo's eyes widened as he tried to pull his hand back, but his digits only clenched the slender throat tighter. Those golden eyes were fixated on him, a wry smile curving her lips, even when his hold only increased the pressure.

" _ **Kill…"**_ _No!_ He recognized this feeling, recognized the stirrings of malice inside of him. The bloodlust that crawled like bile in his throat and he swallowed to force it down.

He couldn't. There was a broken girl beneath those eyes.

Something flickered as a strangled gasp of air escaped from her lips. The golden iris in her right eye twisted and shift…into black. Her lips trembled as an intricate pattern—the broken mask's pattern—moved beneath her skin. Here, then gone.

"Kurosaki…?" Mutsuko's voice was no longer distorted as his name passed her lips, her left eye changing back to black slowly compared to her right. Her lashes fluttered before her eyes slid closed and Ichigo jerked his hand back—a mistake.

Her body fell toward the ground as soon as he no longer held her neck, and he was unable to move, his body paralyzed by what he had nearly done. Rukia must have called his name, but he couldn't hear over the rushing of malice and guilt intertwining inside of him; he could see her pushing herself to grab a hold of Mutsuko before her body would truly be broken beyond repair. He couldn't see if Rukia made it to her…

" _Why didn't you kill it?"_ The voice that always haunted the back of his mind, the one that he would hear in moments of vulnerability, echoed through Ichigo's mind to where he could almost see the Hollow's face. It questioned his humanity during battle, snarled at him to follow the instincts of going in for the kill.

Ichigo couldn't do that to a girl he'd tried to help. He was trying to help her feel safe. He couldn't kill her; he _wouldn't_. She was an innocent!

" _She isn't and you know it,_ " his Hollow hissed in his mind and Ichigo could sense his golden eyes narrowing in disgust. The echoes of the clashing zanpakuto rang in his ears as the flashes he had seen filtered through again. His mind stopped on the image of Mutsuko, bruised, her eyes colder than the most bitter of frost as she stood over two bodies. _"She killed and she would have slaughtered you if you caved on your sympathy for her!"_

"She couldn't have done that," Ichigo muttered to himself, the rushing of emotions dying down enough for him to hear Rukia scream out his name urgently. Shaking his head violently, Ichigo rushed to the ground where Rukia stayed beside an unconscious Mutsuko, her skin and hair returning to normal from the ghostly white of a Hollow. The slow rise and fall of her chest indicated that she survived the fall, that Rukia reached her in time. _Good,_ he thought.

Rukia's blue eyes were on him, concern mingling with the frustration of having to call him down here at least six or seven times. She couldn't understand what had gotten into him, why he had grabbed Mutsuko by the neck, only to freeze and not do anything to prevent the girl from falling to her death. Backtracking into her thoughts, Rukia looked down at the unconscious Mutsuko.

It had to be some kind of Hollowfication. Nanashi Mutsuko may have been spiritually aware, but nothing about her screamed _Hollow_ ; not even when she had said such a cryptic thing to Ichigo and Rukia before appearing to them like this. Rukia's blue eyes scanned the bruising on her neck, the handprint marking no doubt belonging to Ichigo as her body had been completely clear of the marks that she had seen. Frowning slightly, Rukia returned her attention to Ichigo when the male knelt down to look at Mutsuko. At that moment, she had stirred slightly.

"Fi." The name was weak whimper, Mutsuko's lashes fluttering before her eyes opened halfway. "Where am I?" she whispered, dark eyes darting about in her haze.

"What do you remember?" Ichigo asked before Rukia could even open her mouth. His concern was overriding every other warning instinct that blared on a low hum in his mind with his eyes on Mutsuko, whose eyes opened further and she pushed herself upright slowly. "We're supposed to be back by now. Did Morfirio not eat?" she asked as though resuming a completely different conversation. Ichigo could see Rukia tense and he couldn't blame her; his own body snapped to attention, anticipating an attack that likely wouldn't come now in Mutsuko's current state. However, she knew Morfirio was using her body, using her to feed on souls. Just how long _had_ she known?

"Kurosaki," Mutsuko's voice drew Ichigo's attention, her black eyes on him. The haze was partway dissolved, as an alertness was present in her gaze. "Why are you here?" she asked carefully, her eyes flickering from Ichigo to Rukia. "And Kuchiki…too? Why are you both here?"

An edge was present in her voice, sharp as the blade she wielded against them. In spite of himself, Ichigo bit out, "What were you doing here? You run off into the night, not a word to Orihime, and we find you like this. What the hell is going on?"

Mutsuko's eyes narrowed. " _That_ is not your concern."

"I'm tired of hearing that out of your mouth," growled Ichigo, his fingers curling into fists. "You're not going anywhere until you give me a straight answer. If I have to put you in a coma or stab a sword into your leg to keep you from running, I will."

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice was firm, but he could hear the underlying horror at his words. Right now, though, Ichigo could give any less of a damn. Wrapping his fingers around Mutsuko's upper arm, Ichigo speared his eyes into hers in a withering glare, knowing his signature scowl was futile against her, but wasn't going to let her get away with cryptic answers and ambiguity. He had enough of that bullshit.

"Get your hand off of me," snarled Mutsuko, no traces of a tremor in her voice. Her black eyes were void of any warmth as she glared back at him with enough fire to scorch Hell singlehandedly. "Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to let you get hurt."

"You're not strong enough for that and that leaves you in no position to make any threats to me," snapped Ichigo, his brows drawn over his eyes. "That Hollow's either left you here or went to sleep."

"You don't know anything."

"I would if you stopped fucking around and tell me!"

"Ichigo, stop." Rukia's voice was a chilly calm, her hand grasping at Ichigo's wrist to pull it away from Mutsuko's arm. Ichigo may not have noticed, but Rukia certainly had: Mutsuko was not as weak as Ichigo perceived her to be at this moment. Especially with her strange version of Hollowfication. It was nothing like Ichigo, nothing like the Vizards. It was something different, she knew it. Whichever form it was, it was enough for Mutsuko to stand toe-to-toe with them both in battle without the Hollow feeding. One could only shudder at how much stronger she possibly could be if she fed the Hollow inside of her…

Rukia turned her eyes toward Mutsuko, whose own dark orbs flickered to meet hers. "Nanashi-san. You had introduced yourself to us as Morfirio this time. Is that the name of the creature inside of you?" she asked.

Mutsuko's body absolutely recoiled at the name, her eyes widening in shock—the first, genuine reaction to their words aside from her aloofness. "You met Fi?" she stammered, pressing a palm against her forehead. "He told me he'd be careful this time. I knew he was hungry, but…"

"Wait a second," Ichigo growled low in his throat. "You _knew_? _Are you out of your mind?!"_

"Ichigo, she may not have known it was a Hollow!" Rukia chided him, glaring at the strawberry.

"Don't sell him short. I knew exactly what Fi was," Mutsuko announced, no ounce of remorse in her voice. Her expression was closed, her eyes barely hinting at her thoughts. "I knew and I still allowed this to happen."

"Why the hell would you do that?" Ichigo couldn't restrain himself, his anger rising into a fever pitch. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Nanashi Mutsuko, the battered girl he pulled back from suicide, knew that this Morfirio was a Hollow and she still, without even a hint of regret—

"Why?" Mutsuko's voice was above a whisper, but the intensity laced between the syllables caught his attention. "You want to know why. You, with the savior complex to try and rescue a damsel who is no longer in distress?" she asked curtly, her words venom that she spat out. "Fi protected me for years. _Years_. He gave me the strength I needed to finally _finish_ what had been dealt to me. He gave me the power to _destroy that which caused me pain._ Who are _you_ , someone who doesn't even know me nor what I have been through, to attempt to lecture _me_ about the one who has protected me long before you realized that I exist?"

Mutsuko pushed herself to her feet, her eyes screaming years' worth of fury that Ichigo and Rukia could only glimpse inside of a human. "I was born to mean _nothing_ and Morfirio will be the one that will put me into my endless sleep. If you continue to try and save me, you will be pulled down into that sleep with me."

"Is that a threat?" demanded Rukia, her blue eyes narrowed.

"No." A wicked smile curved Mutsuko's lips, not as manic as the smile that she wore while the Hollow controlled her; however, it was chilling. "It's a promise."

She turned away and Ichigo's hand snapped to clench around her wrist, his temper unrestrained. "You're not going anywhere."

When Mutsuko glared at him, her eyes flashed gold for a mere fraction of a second. "Release me, Kurosaki, or you will lose that hand. I am willing to let you and Kuchiki walk away freely right now. Fi, on the other hand, _is not_."

When Ichigo made no move to let her go, she grabbed at his wrist with her free hand with surprising strength, forcing him to relinquish her. She turned and walked away, her strides resolute—but so was Ichigo's will.

He was going to find out how a Hollow merged with a living human that has no ties to Soul Society or the afterlife. Even if he has to wade through dark waters to get the answer.


End file.
